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By Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump has ordered the resumption of U.S. weapons shipments to Ukraine after being caught "flat-footed" by a Pentagon decision to pause deliveries of key munitions, three people familiar with the internal discussions told the Associated Press.
Last week, the Pentagon announced it would temporarily withhold shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided GMLRS rockets, Hellfire missiles, Howitzer rounds, and other defensive aid due to concerns over diminishing U.S. stockpiles. The pause came at a particularly vulnerable time for Ukraine, which is facing intensified air assaults by Russia in the war's fourth year.
The move blindsided the White House and reportedly frustrated the president, the sources told the AP.
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But the pause wasn't universally embraced within the Pentagon. Two of the individuals with knowledge of the matter said there was internal opposition to the decision, which was coordinated by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. One of them said Trump had not been informed in advance and was blindsided by the announcement.
The reversal came swiftly. On Monday night, Trump publicly acknowledged Ukraine's urgent need for assistance, saying: "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now."
The president's frustration seemed to spill into public view on Tuesday during a Cabinet meeting. When CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked who approved the pause, Trump responded curtly: "I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"
As of Tuesday, the Pentagon had not commented on whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had consulted with the White House prior to last week's pause, or on the exact timeline for resumed deliveries.
Pentagon Scrambles to Resume Shipments
By late Monday, the Pentagon confirmed that at Trump's direction, it would resume the weapons shipments. "This ensures the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops," said Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. He added that a broader review of U.S. global military aid remains underway as part of the president's "America First" priorities.
It remains unclear what specific weapons will now be included in resumed shipments, though Trump said assistance would focus primarily on defensive systems.
Behind the scenes, Pentagon officials continued to assess stockpiles. A U.S. official familiar with the process said that each military service and combatant command — the regional hubs overseeing U.S. operations worldwide — was still submitting data to Pentagon leadership on Tuesday. "They are literally still doing the math," the official said.
That data was compiled using a "stoplight" chart — color-coded red, yellow, or green — to indicate munition availability. An earlier version of the chart from the week prior had already shown certain munitions were reaching critically low levels.
Getting accurate counts has been complicated by overlapping jurisdiction. For example, Patriot missiles are tracked by the Army, but when they are reassigned to combatant commands like U.S. Central Command, tracking them becomes difficult. Army spokesman Steve Warren confirmed those challenges, saying that ramping up Patriot missile production has been "difficult."
Warren also acknowledged that the Army's effort to scale up 155mm artillery shell production is falling behind schedule. The service originally aimed to reach 100,000 shells per month by the end of 2025, but that goal has now been pushed to 2026.
Trump Sharpens Tone on Putin
Talks between Moscow and Kyiv have been stalled for months.
In addition to recalibrating his approach to weapons aid, Trump also struck a sharper tone against Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Cabinet meeting. The two leaders spoke by phone last week, but Trump appears increasingly frustrated.
"We get a lot of bull---- thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump said. "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."
Trump has threatened economic measures aimed at pressuring Putin to reengage in peace talks. The bipartisan Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, in the Senate, has 80 cosponsors and is garnering significant support on both sides of the aisle.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said last week that Trump has endorsed his legislative push for a 500% tariff on goods from countries that continue to purchase Russian oil. If enacted, the measure would significantly impact nations like China and India, which have become major buyers of Russian crude. Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he's "looking at it very strongly."
Lawmakers Respond to Trump's Reversal
The Pentagon's abrupt pause and the equally swift reversal caught not just allies and Ukrainian officials off guard, but also several members of Congress.
Former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, issued a statement supporting the resumed aid but called for a more resolute stance. "This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons," McConnell said. "And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production."
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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